Gov. Lamont's plan to redirect funds earmarked for K-12 education to instead support early childhood programs could have a "devastating" effect on Meriden schools, a district already facing deep staffing cuts, according to Board of Education President Robert Kosienski.
Forty-four positions would be eliminated in Meriden schools even with additional funding counted on under a deal brokered last year between Lamont and the legislature. The 44 positions include tutors, climate specialists, multilingual coaches and more.
Without the full funding, more staffing cuts could be needed, Kosienski said, which in turn affects more students.
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Meriden was set to save an estimated $600,000 due to the tuition cap, according to Michael Morton, deputy executive director for communications and operations for the School+State Finance Project. Cheshire was estimated to save $77,979, while Southington would save an estimated $169,391. Wallingford schools would save an estimated $127,698.
Hartford Public Schools, meanwhile, could lose $10 million if the proposed budget is approved, Morton added.
“What was included in the $150 million was a cap that limited the amount of tuition that districts could be charged, which means they would keep more dollars for their schools, staffing and programs,” Morton said. “Now, this would require districts to pick up the rest of that tuition bill because the governor’s budget has decided to not have districts have those savings.
“So that means that $48 million is going to have to be paid collectively by the districts,” he added.